Brenna B. (demiducky25) reviewed on 8/28/2010 + 161 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This book presents a detailed narrative profiling the year 1776 during the American Revolution. I've read McCullough's "John Adams" and found that to be a much more intriguing read. I don't know why I didn't like this book as much, perhaps because I'm not much into military history or perhaps because I couldn't read this one as continuously as I did John Adams and therefore kept picking this up after long breaks, causing me to forget what I already read. At any rate, McCullough's writing is very accessible, he doesn't assume that the person reading it is a big history buff, and he includes details and background that make it easy for the casual history reader to understand what's happening. He really tried to make sure that he was presenting each event from as many angles as possible, but that might have been what caused it to be a bit of a "sloggy" read. I understand wanting to present both the British and American POVs in something like this, but sometimes it got ridiculously bogged down because EVERYONE's POV was presented- bystanders, the average soldier, the upper-class, etc. Yes, this also makes it very interesting, but it just seemed like a bit much in spots. Still, it is a very worthwhile read for anyone interested in the birth of America.

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